Air drier for brake systems



Feb. lo, 1925:` 1,526,119

` N. A. `CHRISTENSEN AIR DRIER FOR BRAKE SYSTIIS Filed `April 19, 1924 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

UNIIEDSTATES yTo all ui/ioni. tf/)my Concern Patented Feb. 10, 1925.`

marsa cHnrsrENsnN, or MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

\ AIR nmnnron'rimxn sYsrEMs.

.. .Appnation med aprilV 19,1524. #serairra-vorm?.` 'Y C .l

it known that I` NInLsiLCHRIsTnn- SEN. a citizen ot the, UnitedStates of` Americamand resident ot' Milwaukee, inthe county Vof Milwaukee and State of isconsin, `have invented neiv andV useful [Improvements in @tir for Brake Systems, of which the Vtollmi'ing is a '.description. reference being had to the accom'pnving drawings, which `area part ottliis specification. .Y y The invention ,relatesto air brake equipment foraiitoniotive Vehicles, and morepa'r. i ticularlyto a means Aforconditioning the air furnished'to the compressor.

u .y In `the, use of air `brake equipment fork .furnishing compressed air =to the brakecylinders, and in which control valvemechanism used to control the passage of air to said cylinders. it has been foundthaton very cold days there isl a tendency for the `moisture in the air,.upon `condensing. andV Vfreeaing to impede the proper action of the valve mechanism. The present invention is designed to `overcome this diiiculty in a very simple and` eifective manner-by drying the air kfrom the heat of thezengines vexhaust i,1 ithout; `,decreasing the volumetric efficiency ofthe compressor.

The inventionpfurther consistsfin the several `features hereinafter set forth and more particularlydened by claims at( the conclusion hereof.

y Inithejdrawings: Fig. `1 is an elevation View of apparatus embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View of the air heater taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 3;

Fig. .3 is a sectionalvievv through the heater taken on the line 3-3`of Fig. 2, and also showing the head end of the compressor in section.- j

In the drawings the numeral 4 designates the internal combustion enginelo an automotive vehicle or any suitable form having an exhaustpipe 5 and an air compressor 6 driven by said engine for supplying air through pipe 7 to a supply tank or reservoir 7 from Which it is taken as needed by the brake-system, such a system usually in cludi-ng a pipe 8 leading to acontrol valve 9 from which the air passes to pipe 10 and pipes 11 and 12 to the brake-cylinders 12. With such a system, on very cold days. should the moisture in the air condense and freeze on the` valves or valve seats of the presser." L

Awould not lfunction properly, and

come this I have provided a means forhea'ting `the air prior to .In Fig." 3 the head end of the compressor matie suction k'spring-closed inlet valve 14 itspassage tothe comff iff f shown as provldedwith `the usual .auto-I 1.'-

and the springclosed discharge valve 15 w-liereby air drawn into vthe compressor through the port;l6, lcontrolledby the inlet valve during the downward i or suction stroke `of the piston of the compressor, is

on `its upward stroke deliveredfpastA the then open discharge valve 15 to thereservoir.` T.0 conditionthe fair enteringxthe inlet `portl 16, I providel a heater 17 and af pipe `18` leading from the heater to theport 16. ,1

Theheater 17 consists otwa casing surrounding the exhaust pipe 5 and preferably made of `tvvo complementary `semi-cylindrical hollow sectionslQ having end portions 1 i QQittingover said pipe, saidsections being clamped together andto the pipe by bolts 21. gThis casing has an linlet ,opening 22 'adjacent` one endon its top portion .and an outletopening 23 adjacentthe opposite endiin its bottom portion, which opening 23 is con-` nected by the pipe 18. to the port'ldWith this construction it will be noted that the air comes :intodirect contact `With thehot ein haustpipe 1during its passagethrough the casing.

The `area Vof the inlet opening 22 .is prefer` ably several times larger than that of the outlet opening 23, as for example three to six times larger so that the suction effect at said inlet does not interfere with passage of. vapor therefrom and so that there 1s plenty of chancefor aqueous vapors, contained in the air drawn into said casing by the suction of the compressor, rising and passing out through said inlet opening by reason of the heating so that the air passing to the opening 23 is treed of these vapors. Furthermore, the arrangement of these openings at the opposite ends of the casing also insures' a thorough drying of the air and hence the lodging of moisture. in any part` of the compressed air or brakingsystem is prevented. y

'Where the connection of the heater with the exhaust pipe is such that it is not feasible to take air direct throughthe plain exposed inlet, a pi e of` suitable size and at least as large as said inlet may be connected thereto and lead up to a space Where clean air can be obtained, as will be readily understood.

The heater is preferably located at such :1- distance away from the compressor, that is, the length of the inlet pipe 1S is such that the dry air from the heater is given a chance to cool before it reaches the compressor and hence the initial heating of the air will not impair the volumetric efficiency of the compressor.

I desire it tol be understood that this invention is not to be limited to any particular form or arrangement of parts exceptgin so tar as such limitations `are included in the claims. v

I claim: l,

l. In an automotive vehicle, the combination with the internal combustion engine of :said vehicle and a compressed air system for said vehicle including a compressor, of means for drying the air furnishedA to said vcompressor comprising an air heater, heated by the exhaust of said engine, and a connection between said heater and the` inletl of the compressor. l

2. In an automotive vehicle, the combination with the internal combustion engine of `said vehicle and a compressed air system for said vehicle including a compressor, of means for drying the air furnished to said compressor comprising an air heater, heated by the exhaust of said engine, and piping between said heater and the inlet port of the compressor permitting cooling of the dry air on its Way to the compressor to prevent substantial loss' in the volumetric efficiency of said compressor.

3. In an automotive vehicle, the combination With the engine and the compressed air system therefor including a compressor, of means for drying the air furnished to said compressor including a casing heated by the exhaust heat of the engine and a connection between said heater and the inlet of the compressor, said casing having an inlet opening for atmospheric air and an outlet opening communicating with said compressor, the inlet opening to the heater being larger lthan its outlet opening to permit of the ready passage of aqueous vapor in the heated air through said inlet opening.

4. In an automotive vehicle, the combination with the internal combustion engine of said vehicle and a compressed air system for said vehicle including a compressor, of means for drying the air furnished to said compressor comprising an air heater, heated` by the exhaust of said engine, and a connection betwen said heater and the inlet of the compressor, said heater having an inlet opening and an outlet opening-arranged at opposite ends and on opposite sides thereof, said inlet opening being larger than the outlet opening.

.5. In an automotive vehicle, the combination with thel internal combustion engine' of said vehicle and a compressed air systemy for said vehlcle including a compressor, of/ means for drying the air furnished to sald compressor comprising a hollowl casing' surrounding a portion of said exhaust pipe and having an inlet opening at its top adjacent one end and an outlet opening in itsbottom adjacent its other end, said inlet opening being of greater area than said outlet open-` ing, and a pipel connecting said outlet opening with the inlet of the compressor and of a length to permit cooling .of the dry air to prevent loss in the volumetric etliciency of the compressor.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

NIELS A. CHRISTENSEN. 

